


Undelivery

by FrozenHearts



Series: Connections Around Eos (And Other Hidden Monstrosities) [7]
Category: Death Stranding (Video Games), Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bridge Baby, Canon Compliant, Daemon Hunting (Final Fantasy XV), Death Stranding Spoilers, Edge Knot City (Death Stranding), Gen, Homo Demens (Death Stranding), MT Prompto Argentum, Niflheim (Final Fantasy XV), Pre-Death Stranding, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-01-26 00:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21365080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Noctis and his entourage take on a hunt that is more than they can handle
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Sam (Death Stranding)
Series: Connections Around Eos (And Other Hidden Monstrosities) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/959235
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Love DS to pieces and I've been playing nonstop but any way i wanted to write this up because the monsters in Death Stranding are so interesting and they sort of fit with the whole Scourge thing FFXV has going on any way

Takka had warned the four of them that this hunt had never been taken on since it was posted at Kenny Crow's diner. The paper was yellowed beyond belief and crinkled under the lightest touch. While the writing was obviously fresh, it looked almost like a serum had taken over, making the ink run until it was barely visible. Strange black blotches marred the page here and there as well, thicker than tar and smelling like acid. 

When the four of them walked into the bar, they were looking for food and some rest; it was Ignis who pointed out over a shared plate of fries that they were low on finances. 

"So we see what hunts Takka has," Noctis shrugged, popping a fry in his mouth, "We got time, right?"

"I suppose," Ignis said, "We don't need to be in Altissia for a bit, and the ferry isn't up and running for at least another two weeks according to Dino."

Gladio scoffed, "You believe that idiot?"

"His report was reliable," Ignis said matter-of-factly.

"Give him some credit! He has two jobs!" Prompto chimed in around a mouthful of food, "Can we take an easy job first though?"

Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose at the request, which usually meant they were going to take whichever job Takka had left and they were going to like it. He was already getting the man to take down the small pile tacked onto the wall to pilfer through it when Takka had mentioned the current one.

"Only one left, but I don't think you boys want it," Takka warned, sliding the page across the counter oh so carefully.

"What, think we can't handle it?" Gladio nudged Prompto's ribs playfully.

"Not that you four aren't capable young men, but this creature hasn't been seen before," Takka explained nervously.

The four of them crowded around it to see that in fact there was no photo drawn in the center like there usually was, instead a giant question mark in it's place. Noctis knew there was usually a starred rating for each creature- a proper experience level should a hunter want to earn some gil or keep their skills sharp. When he peeked at the thin page corner, however, there in the designated spot was yet another question mark, dripping black strands down the side of the page. 

But of course, when Takka warned against them taking it (and really, no picture and no rating should have tipped them off that Takka maybe was right), Gladio only insisted further that they take the job, and Ignis, not wanting to deal with Gladio griping about possibly easy money having gone down the drain, obliged, taking the poster and putting the royal insignia where the hunter's signature was supposed to go.

Now, however, Noctis was starting to hate Ignis a little bit for it because all they were doing for the better part of the past five hours was walking, walking and- you guessed it, more walking. From Hammerhead they had walked through the deserts of Leide (stopping every so often to get in the shade, rest and refuel), all the way through the Three Valleys and Malmalam Thicket, they spent time battling any wild creatures that came at them or Magitek Engines that chose to descend. After a while and with more miles still to walk, however, the wildlife had started to dwindle at a certain point, leaving the four of them to wander in a cold, almost eerie silence.

"You sure we're going in the right direction?" Prompto asked, "Because we've probably passed that weirdly giant mushroom four times already."

Noctis looked over to wear Prompto was pointing and yeah, there was the same comically giant mushroom hidden amongst a crop of rocks, bright red with white dots on the cap; an odd green light was almost wafting up from the surface of it, an odd energy that almost embraced the magic of the Crystal, but not quite. 

"Well maybe it's a sign that you should use it for a recipe?" Gladio jutted his chin towards it, "Make a mushroom soup or something."

Ignis was already summoning a dagger to cut the vegetable out of the ground as Noctis opened his mouth to protest, but just before he could say anything, a different voice made them jump, Gladio already summoning his Great Sword.

"I'd be careful about touching that," a tall woman appeared suddenly behind them, her voice thickly accented, "Never know when a Porter might need to go."

"Who are you?" Gladio demanded, stepping in front of Noctis." 

From behind Gladio's beefy arm, Noctis saw the woman shrug. She held up a hand to investigate her gloves, black shiny leather that matched perfectly with whatever punk look she had going on; black leather pants with blue, red and white stripes running thin down the legs, a leather jacket with shoulder pads poked full of holes and the word "fragile" written in white block letters. Her blonde hair was cropped short, pushed and gelled back to show off a delicate face. 

"I'm Fragile," she said, then paused. She cocked her head as if to inspect the four, her calculating gaze making Noctis uneasy as she said, "What company do you work for?"

Noctis stepped out from behind Gladio, ignoring his friends protests, "Uh, we don't?"

"Huh," Fragile's shoulders drooped slightly, "You wanna come work for me? Always need more Porters round these parts."

Around Insomnia? Noctis knew he hadn't been out of the capital long, but there were plenty of Hunters scattered across the country, and out here, it didn't look too dangerous; just stunningly tall cliffs tucked between valleys of grass and the occasional mushroom. If Noctis was the betting type (which he would never tell Ignis lest he get a lecture), he would even bet that the four of them were the first Hunters to even set foot in this area, considering how almost barren they found it. 

"Quick question, what's a Porter? Is that like, an animal?" Prompto chimed in. His hands were twitching nervously at his sides, like he wanted to summon his guns but couldn't decide if this woman was a threat or not.

"Monsters? No, the only monsters here are the BTs- Porters are deliverymen," Fragile explained politely before narrowing her eyes at them, "Wait- you aren't Porters?"

Noctis shook his head, "Uh, no, I'm Noctis, and these are my friends. We're on our way to my wedding?"

An awkward silence fell between them as the woman had an unreadable look on her face. 

"Well. Explains why you aren't carrying any cargo," Fragile said finally, "Didn't think people still did the marrying thing, but after the explosions, people are desperate."

Wait, what?

"It's twenty-nineteen, what do you mean-"

"Well, that's funny," Fragile chuckled behind a dainty hand, "Time works rather differently around here. Best keep watch that the Timefall doesn't get you." Here, she held up her hand, holding it out towards Noctis; he rolled his eyes as Gladio glared at her, but she didn't seem intimidated, merely sent the bodyguard a warning glance of her own.

"I was hit with Timefall from the neck down," Fragile explained as she pulled off her glove and Noctis almost puked at the sight. 

Her hand... didn't look much like a hand, if he was being honest. Her pale skin was wrinkled and thin, almost too thin and the skin around her nails and knuckles looked almost decayed.

Absolutely nasty.

"We're.... terribly sorry something went wrong, but we haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," Ignis cleared his throat.

"Figured you might be out of towners, but as I said: time works differently here," Fragile put her glove back on and suddenly she had an umbrella and Noctis had to wonder where exactly she was storing it because the thing had so many jagged edges and glass-like pieces, he was pretty certain it couldn't qualify as an umbrella and there was no reason for one anyway since it was sunny outside. 

"We came from Insomnia, took on a hunt to earn some gil," Gladio grunted, "We'll be out of your hair soon."

Fragile pursed her lips, looking around with a heavy sigh. Her umbrella was slung over her shoulder, fingers twisting the metal bar in place as she shifted her weight. 

"You aren't Porters, but if you insist on going out there, could you pick up any lost cargo you find?" she asked, "Some people have been waiting quite a while for their connections and every second counts."

Before the four of them could ask any more questions, Fragile had snapped the handle of her umbrella, the top snapping shut and she shoved it into a satchel ("Wait, where did she get that?" Prompto whispered in Noctis' ear with awe), and spun on her heel.

"Wait-" Noctis reached out for her, pulling back abruptly when she turned around, eyebrow raised.

"Suppose I should warn you," Fragile said, "Find cover from Timefall and BT's. And If you find any cryptobiotes... well, they're pretty handy when you need to keep your blood level, well, levelled."

Noctis exchanged confused glances with his friends as the woman gave herself one last pat-down, jumping when large spikes shot from her shoulder pads, prickling with a life of their own; Noctis turned to see his friends summoning their weapons in burst of blue crystal, but when he turned back, the woman was gone.

"She.... she just vanished!" Prompto blurted, "W-Where-"

"Dunno, but she knows the area," Gladio didn't sound particularly happy, "Maybe there's a Hunter's HQ nearby, or a haven."

Ignis hummed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Indeed. I don't like the implications of this Timefall. Let's get a head start and maybe we can set up camp soon."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!!!

By the time the four made headway into their new surroundings, it was easy to see just how much this Timefall obliterated it. 

While the plains were lovely and green for the most part, a few sections here and there seemed trapped in torrential downpour- the rain was thick, expelling the same odd energy as the mushroom from earlier, and it almost seemed to burn through their clothes and belongings like acid, letting it wither until it went from state of the art material to looking like a mummified version of what it was supposed to be.

"You sure the notice said the monster was in this area?" Noctis asked as he looked at the page again- not that it would help, considering it was still decorated with question marks. "I mean-"

"This is the right place!" Ignis groaned, "There's no way I made a miscalculation- maybe we should have asked that woman-"

"Right, the woman with the freaky name?" Gladio scoffed, "I mean 'Fragile'? She name herself after the clothes she's wearing?"

"You're named after a flower," Noctis pointed out. 

Gladio rolled his eyes but refused to comment, muttering under his breath as he hitched the camping gear higher up on his arm.

"Well, she said BT's are in this area, maybe their the local creature?" Prompto tried helpfully, "Because we haven't seen so much as a chocobo around here, only grass, rocks, more grass and mushrooms that apparently people pee on."

Noctis laughed, but something was telling him Prompto was right. After running into Fragile, Noctis was quick to notice that the area they were exploring was completely desolate; rivers ran through the dips of the valleys and odd coral like structures were poking out of the ground so the land was obviously fertile but where was everybody? If Wiz knew about this place, there'd be a huge chocobo ranch and any farmers would be able to rake it in big at the farmer's market should they decide to grow their crops.

There was still that odd energy in the air, though, as if something was lingering, and it made Noctis's skin crawl at the feeling. Up ahead, Ignis had come to a standstill by a babbling brook, a large map pulled taut in his hands as he looked it, squinted at the land around them only to look back at the map with a furrowed brow; Gladio was looking over his shoulder, just as confused.

"I believe I've made a grave error," Ignis apologized as Noctis and Prompto approached.

"We can't find this area anywhere on the map," Gladio added, "And there aren't any landmarks to tell us where the fuck we are."

Not to mention they were stuck in the Timefall rain again, but Noctis decided he didn't necessarily have to point that out; they were all doing their best to stay as dry as possible, but with how heavy the rain was, they would need to find shelter fast. Looking around, Noctis could see the same green for miles, some of it turning an ugly yellow and on the horizon he spotted it.

The plains sloped upwards, turning into rolling hills dotted with rocks and at the very edge of his peripheral was the lip of a cave.

"Hey, Specs, there's a cave over there!" Noctis practically yelled and he pushed himself into a run, socks wet with water as he made a mad dash through surprisingly deep puddles. Prompto wasn't too far behind, bent over at the waist as he ran to keep up. The climb was steeper than it looked, and there were a few odd signs that flickered from a projection planted in the ground warning them about it, but they made it up eventually, the cave large and inviting as they stepped out of the rain. 

When Gladio and Ignis joined them, the first thing Ignis did was make a small fire, although with lack of trees in the area, they had to make due with anything deemed to ruined by this Timefall stuff to be salvaged- meaning one of Gladio's shirts that he refused to properly wear on a normal day and a few pairs of socks. Noctis and Prompto tugged their own boots off, offering them to Ignis for safekeeping but soon the four of them were huddled around the fire, pulling their supplies from the armiger as they found their stomachs growling. 

"Cup Noodles again?" Prompto whined, "We can't cook anything?"

"I don't want to risk fresh food attracting any local wildlife," Ignis stated, popping open the lid of one if the cups.

"You mean BTs," Gladio grabbed one of the cups for himself.

Ignis shrugged, "Admittedly, yes, those are a concern. We don't know what they look like or what they can do, for one. And I'm fairly certain this BT is the creature this hunt has tasked us with killing."

They always said hindsight was twenty-twenty and Noctis supposed it was really the only logical explanation. With Takka's explanations, how other hunters either refused this job or never came back from it, he worried a little- how powerful could this thing be if everyone who's seen it was dead?

A jab from Prompto's chopsticks pulled Noctis from his thoughts as his friend sing-songed in his ear, "I see them gears turning! No worries, man, we'll get this thing and kill it dead! Just you wait!"

Noctis and Gladio laughed, and he vaguely heard Ignis say something about making a call.

Even with no animal in sight, no immediate dangers besides the Timefall, as the night wore on and they began to get ready for bed (Ignis was still on the phone, although his sentences were punctuated with yawns), Noctis still couldn't help but worry.

What exactly had they gotten themselves into?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!!

It was no use- every time Ignis tried dialing Takka's number, he was met with scratchy dial-tone, and a burst of static. The rain had let up, but there was still that odd feeling and Ignis shivered just thinking about it. 

Glancing down at his phone, Ignis scrolled through his contacts- Gladio, Noctis and Prompto were at the top, considering he called them the most. Next was His Majesty ("Call me Regis, son!" the king's voice was loud in his head), as well as Clarus. Rounding out the list was Iris, Cindy and Aranea, but he knew those three would be of extremely little help considering they weren't in lieu of a hotel, they didn't need the Regalia fixed and they definitely didn't need to kill things right now. 

So he chose the logical option, pressing Cor's contact information and praying the call went through; there wasn't any phone lines for miles and Ignis had no idea how far they had gotten from Hammerhead at this point. 

"Hello?" Cor's voice made Ignis jump, "Everything okay, Ignis?"

Ignis coughed, stealing a glance at his friends over his shoulder. Gladio was trying to wrestle something from Noctis, Prompto cackling as he watched.

"For the most part," Ignis said, "We've seem to run into a bit of an issue."

A grunt, "Explain."

"Yes, well," Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose, "We took a hunt at Takka's but there isn't any information. A woman in the area told us it might be a.. a BT, I think she called it? And then something about Timefall?"

There was a shuffle on Cor's end and Ignis thought he heard the Marshall say something under his breath, possibly to someone else. A few seconds later, Cor was back on, "Where are you now?"

"In a cave somewhere," Ignis said, "I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't the slightest idea where we are."

"That's fine- now, this woman, did she say anything else?" Cor sounded agitated, but with the Prince's life possibly at stake, Ignis didn't blame him. 

"She asked us if we were Porters," Ignis wracked his brain, "Asked us to work for her and said time moved differently here."

For a few seconds, Ignis thought Cor had hung up on him, the phone silent as he heard some clicking and a soft, "Oh, here it is, Cor-" that had to be Clarus but Ignis was quickly pulled out of his worrying as Cor cleared vis throat.

"Sounds like you're on the border of where Lucis meets the UCA," Cor explained.

Ignis frowned, "I don't believe I've any knowledge on the area-"

"You won't, not after what happened," Cor cut him off, "Basically there were three explosions and a terrorist group. Set on world domination but so far they've only managed to take over the West Coast of the UCA."

Oh dear. On top of a road trip, a wedding and an impending war with Niflheim they had to worry about a terrorist group? Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ignis sighed, catching Gladio's eye across their impromptu camp site. The Shield had gotten Prompto and Noctis to do something between themselves, a worried glint in his eye as he stared at Ignis across the way. 

This was going to be tough to explain, that was for sure. What Ignis wanted to know was why did no one think to say anything when posting the hunt? 

"That doesn't explain who the woman is," Ignis pressed.

"Was she blonde? Wore black leather with a funky umbrella?"

"Yes," Ignis confirmed.

"Fragile," Cor groaned, "Runs the Fragile Express with a group of Porters. Big delivering company- got a few packages from them back in Insomnia. She started working with Bridges after the terrorists tricked her into blowing up most of Port Knot City in that area."

Ignis spluttered indignantly, "Excuse me?!"

"Just if you see her, she can help," Cor said, "and be sure to call again if something like this happens, okay?"

Ignis gaped for a second, looking like a fish out of water before he was able to say anything, "I'm sorry but that still doesn't explain what BT's are and this whole hunt poses a very dangerous risk to Noctis-"

"Agreed," Cor said, his voice crackling, "For now, stick with it. Call again if you need to."

Ignis stared dumbfounded at his phone, the screen flashing that the call had ended and he found himself shaking- nothing new came from that call. They were right back where they started, save for the addition of terrorists, apparently. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Ignis squared his shoulders and met Gladio's concerned gaze.

He didn't say anything, following Ignis as he beckoned him towards the mouth if the cave.

"What did Cor say?" Gladio asked and Ignis wasn't even going to reprimand him for eavesdroppping.

"We're in the UCA, apparently," Ignis told him, "and Fragile is a deliverywoman."

Gladio snorted, "She looked like a stick."

"Apparently she runs a big company that was taken over by terrorists," Ignis hummed in agreement, "So now we have another problem to add to our ever growing list."

Gladio coxked his head in that way Ignis always thought was cute, "If she's a delivery person, who is she delivering packages to? The place is barren as far as I know."

"I have no idea, but if she is to be trusted- and Cor says she is- then we need to stay dry, and stay away from BT's," Ignis explained hurriedly, adding quickly, "And no, I still have no idea what BT's are, we're just going to have to be.... more careful, I suppose."

Well, Ignis wasn't entirely sure how much more careful they could be. With all the unreliable factors, this situation was definitely going to backfire, somehow blow up figuratively if it didn't blow up literally-

"You aren't keen on working with Fragile," Gladio said as if reading his mind.

"Precisely," Ignis admitted with such confidence, gusto that even took him by surprise. "If she was unknowingly working under terrorists, who's to say we won't accidentally get dragged into the mix?"

Gladio shrugged, "We'll just have to be more careful, like you said." And with that Gladio threw an arm around Ignis's shoulder, pulling him back towards their little makeshift camp, but Ignis couldn't help but still feel like something was off. 

He found out exactly what it was the next morning, as the pull of the Armiger yanked him out of his dreams to a somewhat chaotic situation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I updated this so sorry!!

The pull of the Armiger was what woke Ignis up first. He felt it tug at his being, dragging him into the land of the living but once he managed to get the sleep out of his eyes, he desperately wished he was still asleep. Their meager campfire was made to ash in the center of the cave, small yellow embers floating towards the ceiling as Gladio inadvertently stamped it out; he was in the middle of summoning his great sword, leveling the hulking weapon at whoever ot whatever was intruding upon them. 

Blinking, Ignis sat up, taking in the rest of the scene: While Gladio had his sword levelled at what he could now see was a person, Prompto had his gun at the ready, shakily putting himself between Noctis and their new guest.

"What..." Ignis moaned, "What's going on here?"

"Found this guy sneaking in," Gladio said gruffly, eyes never leaving the man who knelt on the cavern floor. 

"Listen, man-" a reedy yet gruff voice statted before being cut off by....

"Is that a baby?" Noctis asked in awe, dipping out from behind Prompto to take a closer look. He shot Gladio an annoyed glare when the Shield stopped him, but it didn't matter. The man on the floor was flooded with obvious distress and now that Ignis was fully awake, it was indeed a baby's cry that forced him up.

"They tell me it isn't," the man unhooked an orange pod from a wire on his chest, forlorn as he started rocking it, making small noises to-

"Uh, is that legal?" Prompto scratched the back of his head, "I mean, can't the baby, like, drown in all that fluid?"

Ignis crept closer from his bedroll, a small gasp caught in his throat. Insomnia Child Services would have a field day if they were present: an infant, possibly a few months old, was suspended in the pod, cooing at the man from behind orange tempered glass, an umbilical cord freely floating around it. Big eyes blinked up at the man and Ignis watched as a heavy relief overtook him. Shoulders slumping, the man moved oh so carefully to slip what looked like a cart off his back; boxes and crates with tape were stacked in it, a few dented and others quite rusted. 

"Haven't seen people outside their bunkers since the Death Stranding started," the guy said, "It's not safe for you out in the open." 

Gladio scoffed, "We have enough protection. Haven't seen any animals for miles."

The man rolled his eyes, "Doesn't mean there aren't worse things waiting to get ya."

Ignis raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth only to close it when it clicked. 

"You mean the BT's?" Ignis asked. The man turned to him, bewildered as he continued to cradle his child.

"You have DOOMS too?" he asked with revered awe, "Huh. I'm only a level two, but- wait, what are your levels?"

Now, Ignis was lost, "Fragile didn't mention anything about.... DOOMS."

"Wait, you saw her?!"

Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Well, for a brief moment. On the border of the UCA and Insomnia."

Ignis expected a reply of shock. Of someone to throw themselves down and start bowing to Noctis, maybe start apologizing profusely, offering up whatever meager possessions they had. What he didn't expect was the man to snort, turn to the child in the pod and say "Hear that Lou? We're in the presence of royalty!"

The baby cooed, tapping the glass with a tiny fist.

"So.... The UCA is aware of the kingdom?" Noctis spoke up.

The man shrugged, "We're on a different space time than you guys, but you ain't that hard to get to."

Right, Ignis thought, Fragile said time worked differently here. Casting a glance towards the mouth of the cave, Ignis stared at the lush green hills in front of them. Rain pelted the land and it didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon. 

"So have we seen you around the Citadel?" Noctis was growing braver, moving to sit in front of the man despite Gladio's obvious protest. Ignis noticed how the man tensed, the way his hands tightened ever so slightly around the child in the pod. 

Odd.

"I mainly worked with a Cor Leonis," the man explained gruffly, "First met him during a delivery to Niflheim." Here, the man scrutinized them, his narrowed eyes bemused as he darted between them, finally landing on Prompto. The gunner had given up on any hostile pretenses, having willed his gun back into the Armiger so he could go sit next to Noctis.

Lifting a hand, the man pointed to Prompto, "I dunno.... Have we met before?"

Prompto offered a sheepish smile, "Um, I'm Prompto?"

A heavy silence hung over the group as the man cocked his head, a low grumble in his throat as he said, "Thought it was you. It's been a while since we've seen each other, is all."

Ignis frowned. He went through every background check personally. He vetted and scoped and dug through every little detail on whoever it was that Noctis came into contact with. 

"And who are you that you know Prompto?" Ignis asked, a bit more agitated than he expected.

"Cor took you once I got you out," the man said. The baby in the pod, Lou, was starting to curl up for a nap. "Of Niflheim, that is."

Prompto's face was turning red and he averted his gaze to stare at the band on his right wrist.He finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity, his voice quiet:

"....Sam?" Prompto's voice was so soft, you could hear a pin drop.

"Sam Porter-Bridges, at your service," Sam joked with a rough laugh. He lifted the pod ever so slightly, careful not to wake the baby, "and I gotta say, I'm glad we got you out of there on one piece."

"Prompto, you know this guy?" Gladio barked, his eyes etched with confusion.

"I think," Prompto gulped, "I have some explaining to do."

"Listen-" Sam tried to but in, only for Gladio to shut him up with a look. He sank back, Lou's pod sinking into his lap as he let go of it. Ignis sighed, rubbing his forehead as he watched Noctis reignite their campfire.

This, he figured, was going to be one hell of a story.

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter done! Next chapter will be up as soon as i figure out where im going with this story lmao


End file.
